Battle of Deities
by TriforceWisdom64
Summary: It should have been a prosperous time. If only the Ikana hadn't unleashed the wrath of the gods and sparked the war between Hyrule and Termina. Before the King of Evil rose to power, before the Hero of Time pulled the Master Sword, Rusl Ordon set out on the will of Hylia to destroy the Terminian deities and save both worlds from total destruction.
1. Prologue

**Prologue Warning: **This is basically just my own personal Ikana Canyon/Majora's Mask origin theory. DO NOT SKIP. This is very important to the story.

100 years before the birth of the Hero of Time, a Hylian merchant stumbled across a mysterious tunnel. He reported his finding to the Royal Family, and a reconnaisance team was sent to investigate. Halfway through the tunnel, they bumped into an identical group of men. This was the discovery of the nearly-parallel world, Termina.

The king of Hyrule met with the mayor of democratic Center Town (to be renamed Clock Town after the clock's construction) to discuss an alliance between the two developing nations. The mayor, of course, agreed.

At this time, the Ikana people were also growing powerful. They were a war-loving people, and they conquered every tribe east of Center Town except one: the Gibdo. Fearing both the Gibdos' strength and Center Town's alliegence to Hyrule, the Ikana king met with the Gibdo king to discuss a unified attack on Center Town. He agreed.

This is where religion begins to play a huge role; as you know, their gods and goddesses were real. The Hylians believed the story you've all heard: Hylia created Din, Nayru, and Farore, who in turn created the land, law, and life. The Terminians of Center Town believed that their goddess, Majora, had created the land with her four Giants, and that Karik (the Fierce Deity) had created the spiritual universe. Even more troubling, the Ikana believed that Majora was but a slave to Karik and the Giants, as they believed women were inferior to men.

To top it all off, many Gibdos began converting to Hylian beliefs, including their king. The Ikana were furious, and developed a treacherous plan.

When the attack on Center Town began, the invaders faced heavy resistance. Clearly the Terminians, with their catapults and lightweight javelins, were more technologically advanced than any of them, and the Hylian soldiers had learned how to use these weapons. The first attack was a complete failure.

That night, while the invaders were camping in Termina field, the Ikana king snuck into the Gibdo king's tent and slit his throat. He was completely unaware that the Gibdos' second-in-command, a highly skilled warrior, was watching him enter the tent. When the murderer stepped outside, the commander yelled, "Kill them all!" Both sides were trained to wake up on cue. Utter chaos broke out, and the Ikana king managed to escape and call a full retreat. This was the wrong time and place for a fight. The Gibdos held back, and followed the Ikana from a not-very-comfortable distance, since they lived very close together.

Killing the Gibdo king did not stop Gibdos from converting their religion. The Ikana decided there was only one thing they could do: build a tower to the heavens and kill the Golden Goddesses. They would do this with the help of a dangerous weapon, the Giant's Mask, which would prove that the male Giants were superior to the female goddesses.

Din, goddess of power, suggested that the Ikana be killed for their crimes. Nayru, goddess of wisdom and love, was horrified at the idea of destroying an entire nation. Farore, goddess of courage, made the point that even though the Gibdos believed the Hylian religion, they still wished to destroy the Hylian nation. Nayru suggested that the two foolish factions be allowed to destroy each other. The Gibdos were already preparing to pursue the Ikana up the Stone Tower.

When they began the climb, a completely unforeseen event took place: the tower flipped upside-down. This was brought on by Majora, who believed both the Gibdos and the Ikana owed her more respect and worship than they gave. Many soldiers of both sides fell into the sky. Many more began fighting. Some from both believed that this was the Hylian's work, not Majora. They continued building up, which was now down. Instead of heaven, they found hell, and in doing so released Majora into the mortal world. She unleashed a massive surge of energy that killed all the remaining Gibdos and Ikana, then cursed them to wander in pain and anger for all eternity.

Ninety-seven years before the birth of the Hero of Time, tensions between Hylians and Terminians escalated into war as the goddesses, Giants, and Karik argued. Twenty-two years before the birth of the Hero of Time, a boy was born on a small livestock farm called Ordon, on the edge of the Kokiri forest.

This boy was Rusl. This is his story.


	2. Rusl

"Rusl, can you please help? One of the goats got out."

Rusl sighed. "Can't you handle it?"

CRASH! The goat knocked his door clear off the wall. Of course, the escaping goat just had to be Ol' Bessy, who was twice the size of any other goat on the ranch. "Ah, sh..." Bessy let out a bellow that would terrify any noble, but Rusl didn't waver.

"Hey, Bessy," he said in a loving voice. "Who's a good..." He leapt at her and wrapped his arms around her neck, hauling himself onto her back. She bellowed again and took off running, but she slowed and fell over after a few seconds of Rusl squeezing her windpipe.

"Nice job!" exclaimed Rusl's brother Error. The two lifted Bessy to her feet (no easy task) and walked her up to the barn. Their father Gaepora met them at the gate the goats could easily jump over when they felt like it.

"Excellent work, boys!" he said. "Or should I say 'men', considering it's Rusl's 21 birthday!"

"Thanks, dad. Now, I kinda have a door to fix."

"I'll handle it," Error interjected. "I think someone had a birthday present for you!"

Rusl smiled knowingly. At the start of the Hyrule-Termina War, also known as the Battle of Deities, there had only been one family at the ranch. Over the 76 years since the war's beginning, two more families had come, so there were three: Rusl's family, Ordon; the Kakariko family; and the Cremin family. The Kakariko family were carpenters who mostly kept to themselves, but the Cremins and Ordons were very social and were good friends. The person... no, the _anything _Rusl cared most about in his life was Ashei, Mr. and Mrs. Cremin's daughter.

Ashei was a kind, gentle, shy girl with physical features that had gone from cute to beautiful over the years. You would need to get to know her before you'd think that, though, as she was not at all afraid of doing hard labor around the ranch. She'd come to the ranch when she was nine; Rusl was ten at the time. He'd thought she would be weak and scared of hard work, but she proved to be as strong as him. He developed a crush on her, but had never worked up the nerve to tell her how he felt. She knew though, and he knew she liked him.

He found her singing on the front seps of her house. She had the most beautiful voice, like Nayru herself had blessed the child. He stood and listened for a moment until she noticed he was there. She smiled. "Happy Birthday."

"Yeah, I got to wrestle Bessy," he said.

"Well well well! Off to a rough start? Can I help?"

"Well, I just heard you sing, so I'm doing pretty well now." _Smooth, _he thought.

She giggled. He loved it when she did that. "I'm glad I could make your day, Mr. Man."

"Who's to say if my day's been made yet?"

She leaned forward and kissed him. "How about now?"

"I...er...uh...I...th..."

She giggled again. "Well, I've got chores to do. See ya around!"

As she walked off, Rusl got a huge, stupid grin on his face. He had a feeling this would be a good day.

**Hey guys! So, this was the first real chapter of the story. The plot will start up in the next chapter. Please tell me what you think and give me suggestions later on. Rusl's in for one heck of a ride!**


	3. Drafted

Knock knock knock.

"Wha...who could that be?"

"Good evening sir. Are you Gaepora Ordon?"

"Who's asking?"

"I am commander Balon of the Hyrule Royal Army. I was informed that your son turned 21 years of age today?"

"No. No! NO!"

"Your son was drafted into the army some time ago, but was too young to be forcefully taken. We are now fully authorized to take him."

"Why couldn't you tell me sooner?!"

"Sir, I'm not here to explain our system. We are at war on the will of the great goddess Hylia. Relinquish your son at once."

"Damn you! Damn your system! Damn Her Grace! You can't have my son!"

"Sir, stop. Cease and desist at once!"

Thunk! Smack! Crash!

"Dad?!"

"You're coming with us."

"What have you done to him?!"

"Grab him!"

"Dad! Error! Ashei! NNNNOOOOOOOOO!"

**How's that for a start to the main plot? You stressed yet? How will Rusl fare in the Hylian military? Keep reading. Hahahaha!**


	4. Guilty Conscience

_Three months later..._

"Alright, line up men!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"I'm sure you're all tired of this boring training."

The drill sergeant waited for a response, but got none. The training had been extremely rigorous and difficult. Rusl, despite having no formal training (or any training at all) had demonstrated exceptional skill with a sword and shield, as well as with a bow. He had seriously wounded an instructor on his third day of basic training. The memory haunted him.

_"How does it feel?"_

_"Good weight and grip. It's a good match."_

_"Alright. Come at me. I can handle it."_

_"Okay."_

_"Woah! Okay. Good...urgh!...technique." Rusl's sword caught the instructor on his armored wrist. "Agh!" Instinctively, Rusl raised his sword straight through a chink in the armor, just below the shoulder. "Ahhhhh!" Medics came rushing immediately. Blood flowed steadily from the wound. Rusl dropped his sword in horror of what he had done._

_"I...I..."_

_"Back up! Back up!"_

_A crowd began to form around them. Rusl put his head down and ran through the crowd._

"...and so I hope you boys are excited. Grab your gear!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Huh? Wha?" Rusl muttered. "What are we doing?"

His friend Talorn looked at him. "Are you stupid? We're preparing for our first battle at Transit Grounds!" Transit Grounds was the location of the tunnel between Hyrule and Termina. This would be a chaotic, full-scale battle.

The color drained from Rusl's face. This could not be possible. He wasn't ready for combat. Was he? If not, he was in trouble.

**Coming up next time: Rusl's first battle! As the story progresses, it will become more like a Zelda game, with Rusl traveling all over, dispelling curses, fighting bosses, and completing "side quests" to help the innocent people who play no role in the war.**


	5. War and Dueling

Rusl could hear the sounds of battle from three miles away. Screams of pain and terror carry farther than most sounds. His carriage had been hit by a burning rock, probably fired from a Terminian catapult, and his squad had to travel on foot. He didn't bother drawing his sword; he went straight for his bow. Ther was no chance he'd end up in melee combat.

He drew back an arrow, took aim, and hesitated. Was he really capable of taking a life? A human life, either fighting for what they thought was right or forced to fight. He was being asked to end it?

The side of an arrow tipped his light armor. He couldn't hesitate any longer. He let the arrow fly, and it sunk deep into the armor of a Terminian soldier. The man collapsed instantly. Rusl shot arrow after arrow, and about 20 enemies went down. It didn't seem like it. Both armies were just as dense as when they started fighting...the day before. The fighting would not stop unless someone found a more creative way to end it.

"Cease-fire!" the Hylian general in charge of the fighting yelled suddenly. "I demand a cease-fire!"

"Stop!" commanded the Terminian general. "Stop at once!"

A couple minutes later, the fighting paused, and both sides' front lines backed up. The Hylian general cleared his throat. "I propose a resolution to this endless fighting. Each side will send their best swordsman to combat the other's. The loser's army retreats."

"Agreed."

Rusl felt sorry for whoever got stuck with that task. Th Hylian soldiers began clearing a line path through their ranks. _Hmm. I wonder who they...Sweet Hylia! _It became clear that the path was for him. He was the best swordsman in an entire army?!

Well, time to find out. He asked the general, "What are the terms of this duel?"

"Nothing but a sword a shield. Fight until death."

Letting out a shaky breath, Rusl stepped up and moved through the ranks of soldiers into no-man's land. He drew his sword and shield and faced his opponent: a seven-foot-tall, extremely muscular, heavily armored man wielding a broadsword and custom-made Terminian mirror shield.

The two warriors crossed blades and engaged. The Terminian was much faster than he expected, and he immediately rolled to dodge a downward strike. Both armies cheered and jeered loudly. Rusl took a swing, but his enemy knocked it away easily with his shield. He used the shield as a mirror, reflecting the sun's light into Rusl's eyes. He then smashed Rusl's face with the shield, knocking Rusl's helmet off. Rusl raised his shield just in time to block an uppercut from his foe. He then rolled between his enemy's legs and tried to stab them, but he couldn't find any flaws in the armor. The Terminian turned and took a swing at Rusl, who parried it with his sword and swung at the warrior's wrist. It clanged harmlessly off of the armor. The two clashed shields, and Rusl fell on his back. He rolled to the side while the Terminian's blade struck only earth.

His enemy swung at him with his shield, and Rusl jumped on it with inhuman reflexes. The man grunted in surprise while Rusl leapt in the air and brought his sword point-down behind his enemy's neck.

He didn't know how, but he'd found the one weak point in his enemy's armor. As he landed, his opponent fell backwards, already dead. Every soldier on the battlefield gawked at both the dead soldier and the living one who had killed him. Rusl tried (and failed) to maintain an arrogant, confident look as the Hylian general stepped up beside him. "All Terminians must retreat into the tunnel. Any stragglers will be captured." He flashed a look to Rusl, who turned away. This would be discussed later.

**Hey guys! So yeah, this was Rusl's first "boss fight". Remember I can edit these, so always let me know if something could be improved. Thanks for your support!**


	6. Kokiri

_Rusl was standing in a room with two doors. One led to light and warmth, the other to dark cold. A dark figure lay broken on the ground next to him. "Oh goddesses. Din?!"_

_Din shone brightly gold for a moment, then took the form of a familiar human. _

_"Ashei?"_

_"Fear not for your lover. I assumed this form because the girl's strength and beauty rival my own, though she has a kinder heart. You are very lucky."_

_She said this all with a frown, as if simply stating facts. "To tell the truth, your grace, I don't feel very lucky."_

_"Anyone is lucky to take a stand on the battlefield to defend their beliefs."_

_"What?! How could you..." Remembering that Din was the goddess of power, he said, "But what about peaceful compromise? Conflict without bloodshed?"_

_"There is no honor in this."_

_"I believe Farore and Nayru would say otherwise."_

_"How dare you take such a tone with me!"_

_Dropping to one knee, Rusl burst out, "Forgive me, your grace! I meant no offense!"_

_"Wake now, chosen hero of the Great Goddess, and decide your own path."_

_"What?"_

Rusl woke in the same tent he'd slept in. Just the day before, he had killed for the first time in his life. He'd never even killed an animal, though he had skinned a few after they were dead. He guessed he had shot 20 people before killing their colossal champion. The ease with which he'd done so frightened him, as did his conversation with Din in his mind. _Chosen hero?_

"Listen up, men," barked an officer. 'We have a special assignment today. We are to secure a base camp in Kokiri Forest."

Rusl didn't think much of this at first, and he followed his squad to the forest without much thought. When they arrived, the Kokiri children laughed and asked silly questions about the war.

"When will the war end?"

"Are you winning?"

"What's it like being a soldier?"

The officer marched to the center of Kokiri Village and announced: "All citizens of this village must evacuate to the forest at once. This land has been seized by the Army of the King, effective immediately."

A boy of about ten years marched up. "Hold up, buddy! I, Mido, am boss around here. You can't tell my people what to do!"

"Listen, kid, we're doing this so we can protect you in an emergency. There's only one entrance to this village, and if the Terminians get through it, may Hylia have mercy on your souls."

"Woah, hey, I never said we weren't leaving. Everybody listen up! We're heading into Lost Woods! Follow Saria, she knows the way to the Forest Temple!" Turning to the officer, he added, "Make sure they don't get the Great Deku Tree."

"They won't, kid." The officer had no idea what he just said.

After the children left, he ordered, "Alright! You, you, you, and you, loot the houses. You and you, set up tents and fire pits. You three, block off the Lost Woods, whatever that means, up there. You four, set up a barricade at the village entrance. Only our men should be able to get through."

When he finished, Rusl stood not knowing what to do. Out of earshot of the soldiers, the officer said, "I want you to check out this 'Great Deku Tree'. That's an order."

Rusl hesitated a moment. "Sir yes sir!" He jogged off in the direction of the tree. When he arrived, he was struck with awe. Not because of the tree's size, but because it had a face. The chances of that growth pattern forming in a tree were next to none! While he thought about this scientifically, he heard a voice.

"You seek counsel with the Great Deku Tree?"

"Counsel? Who speaks?"

"Look forward."

"All I can see is the...the..." The color drained from Rusl's face. "Hello?"

"I'm glad you know who you're talking to, though I thought it obvious. Now then, what do you wish to ask?"

"Oh goddesses. Oh Hylia. Oh..."

"Speak up, please."

"How can a tree talk?" Rusl blurted out.

"How can a man talk?"

"No, no, no, it wasn't philosophical. How is this possible?"

"My good man, don't tell me you are an atheist who fears magic?"

"An atheist?" Rusl thought for a moment. The goddesses existed. Wasn't anything possible? "No, I've just never seen nor heard of a tree that speaks."

"Well, one must always be open to possibilities!"

"Uh, yeah. Right."

"So I take it you were not seeking counsel, and were in fact just scouting the area?"

"You are correct."_Not only is he a talking tree, but an intelligent one at that._

"Do you seek counsel now?"

"Sure. Yeah. Why not?"

"Then enter my depths and prove yourself worthy."

"Wait, what?"

The tree opened a passage at its base. "Step forth."

Rusl paused, then decided he should do the magical tree's bidding. He may get something out of it.

**Next time: Rusl's first dungeon! Don't worry, it'll be different from the OoT dungeon :)**


	7. Dungeon

Rusl slowly and cautiously edged into the Great Deku Tree. He didn't know what to expect, and his mind filled with thoughts of hideous, hulking beasts. He pushed these aside. "Focus on the facts, Rusl," he told himself. "Fact: trees can talk and be dungeons." He cursed softly.

He emerged in a circular chamber with a hole in the center, wide enough to comfortably fit five men. Of course, this hole led 50 feet straight down into darkness. When he approached it to look in, a Deku baba rose from the ground and tried to bite him. He jumped to the side in surprise and brought his sword down on the stem of the carnivorous plant. It's head (rather out of place on a plant) went flying across the room and smashed into a wall, then fell to the ground and lay still. Rusl carefully observed the visible roots the monster had emerged from. "I'll have to look out for those."

He peered down the hole, but could see nothing. Taking a look around, he saw a ramp winding upward through the tree. He killed a Deku baba at the base and proceeded up. About halfway, there was a landing where he could continue forward or climb some vines to his left. He chose to keep moving for now. At the top was a door and a ledge. He looked over and saw a space of about 50 feet down into the hole. "Yikes. That's quite a drop." He entered the door and found himself in a room full of rows of Deku babas, like an evil greenhouse that fed the plants darkness instead of light.

In-between the babas were Deku sentries. When Rusl entered, they all rose from their flowers and faced him. "Oh, my..." The sentries opened fire. Rusl held out his standard-issue steel shield, and held it back after the barrage to find it heavily dented and nearly unusable. Some of the rocks the sentries spat at him had deflected of it and killed nearby enemies. Without thinking, Rusl charged forward and spun in a quick 360 with his sword extended. Three sentries ducked back into their flowers, but all the rest of the beasts were slain by the skillful attack.

The remaining three cried out, "Please don't hurt us! We will tell you a secret!"

"What do you mean, 'secret'?"

"If you jump into the hole in the main room from the ground floor, your legs will snap and you will die. But if you believe us, and jump from the ledge outside this room, you will live!"

"How can I trust you?"

"Okay, okay! You need the gift of the forest first!"

"What? What's that?"

"That is all we can tell you! We speak the truth! Trust us!"

Rusl considered his options. "Okay, I believe you."

"Oh thank you! The gift is in a room at the top of the tree. Climb the vines you passed earlier."

Rusl turned around and exited back to the main room. He descended down the ramp and looked at the vines. Small skulltula spiders made their homes there. Rusl drew his bow and shot three arrows. Three skulltulas hit the floor, dead. He slung his bow and tried to get his shield in its harness, but it was too damaged and didn't fit. He set it on the floor and planned to retrieve it later.

He scaled the vines in under a minute and stepped out onto the top floor. Three more Deku sentries guarded a door on the other side of the room.

"What's the password?"

"Go to hell?"

"Nope!"

"Damn."

The sentries opened fire. He slashed at the rocks and hit all three sentries, but none fell.

The one on the left said, "You can't kill us!"

The one on the right said, "You don't know our secret code!"

The one in the center said, "Give up now!"

Rusl killed the left one, then the right one, then the center one. The door opened.

Rusl stepped through into a small, rectangular chamber. Inside stood a reptilian creature who turned around quickly when he entered. The Lizalfos wore an armguard on his left arm and an elbow blade on his right arm. When Rusl raised his sword, the Lizalfos attached a chain with a spiked ball on the end to the blade. The most unsettling thing was that he wore a wreath of flowers on his head.

Rusl hit the dirt as the beast swung the chain at him. He was too far away to land a hit with his sword, so he quickly scanned the room for a ranged weapon. There was a Deku baba on the other side of the room.

"Perfect!"

Rusl jumped to his feet and swung quickly at the Lizalfos. He was out of range, but his opponent leapt back regardless. He used that opportunity to dash across the room and slash the Deku baba's head off. He'd learned how to use some natural weapons back in basic training, and this was one of them. He threw the Deku nut down.

He knew enough to look away from the burst of white light that erupted from the nut. The Lizalfos did not. While it was blinded, Rusl managed to slip his sword under the chain and rip it off of his enemy's elbow blade.

_One obstacle down. _

The Lizalfos screamed in anger, then charged. It swung it's armored hand at Rusl, who hit the dirt again, then rose up just to parry a strike from the bladed arm half a second before it cut his head off. He jumped another strike from the armored arm like he'd done with the Terminian soldier's shield, but his foe was too quick to land on. Instead, he grabbed the armguard and tried to yank it off. "What the...?!" No matter how hard he pulled, it wouldn't budge, as if it was part of the creature's body. He jumped again as it tried to shake him off. When he came down, he sliced under its elbow blade, cutting it off along with a couple scales. The lizard screamed again and launched another punch with its armored hand. Rusl ducked the clumsy swing, turned his sword around, and stabbed it into the armguard. The Lizalfos screamed a third time, and Rusl managed to pry it off. Completely defenseless, the monster leapt at him. Rusl flipped his sword around again and allowed his enemy to impale itself.

The Lizalfos slipped off of the sword and died before it hit the ground. An ornate treasure chest materialized in the center of the room.

"Fact two: treasure chests can pop up out of nowhere."

Rusl slowly undid the lock and opened the chest. The item inside shone with bright light. He slowly lifted it out of the chest.

_You got the Kokiri Sword!_


	8. Not Ghoma

Rusl swung his new weapon around for a while. It was a perfect fit, better than his military sword. It even came with a sheath. He slung it over his back and returned to the main room.

He proceed to the ledge on the middle floor. He considered his options: 1) Leave with the sword. 2) Jump. He looked down, closed his eyes, and jumped. He knew that in a second his legs would break. He waited. One, two, three, four...

He opened his eyes and found that he had already reached the ground.

"Huh. That was easy."

Suddenly, Rusl was frightened by disembodied laughter. Four Poes shimmered into existence around him. He realized he didn't have his shield. Wait, had it even been where he left it?

The Poes began throwing baseball-sized projectiles of elemental magic. Rusl rolled to avoid one, jumped another, and performed a spin attack on one of the Poes. It disappeared, but Rusl knew it wasn't gone for good. He deflected a fireball with his sword and leapt at another Poe, bringing his sword straight through it. He repeated this for a minute, and the Poes fell one after the other. They drifted upward through the hole, and Rusl's shield fell through afterward.

"Damn Poes."

He scanned the room, revealing that the only exits were the hole 15 feet above him and a large, intimidating door. The closer he got to the door, the more uncomfortable he felt. There was something in the next room, something really powerful and really evil. A large padlock covered the door. Without thinking, he held the Kokiri Sword up to the door. It began to glow, and moments later it disappeared in a flash of light. It was too dark to see anything in the next room. He moved forward slowly.

As soon as he was all the way through the doorway, he heard a loud crashing sound that made him jump. He turned to find that the door was back. The only light in the room came from the Kokiri Sword. A human-shaped figure stood in the center of the room, standing eight feet tall. It appeared to radiate shadow. It turned to face him, and the room brightened slightly. It wasn't daylight, however; it was twilight, and served to make Rusl even more uncomfortable. The figure was a man, with a comically large nose and an evil smile. The nose did little to settle Rusl's fear.

Rusl heard a voice in his head, softer than Din's but somehow more powerful.

_Demise! Leave him be. His war is not with you!_

"Oh naïve Hylia, my war is with all beings!" laughed Demise.

_Stop this at once! He can't defeat you without the Master Sword!_

"Then he shall die."

Rusl quaked in fear. "D-d-Demise?! What do you mean demise?!"

_Your opponent is Demise. He desires the destruction of all_ _living things, and therefore would prefer if you did not end the war._

"End the war?! How could I end the war?!"

"Enough talk. Hylia, begone. Young warrior, let's fight!"

Demise charged at Rusl, who held up his shield to defend himself. Demise summoned his massive blade Girrahim and swung at the young knight. Rusl's shield was knocked out of his grasp and into the wall, where it shattered. Rusl took up a defensive stance and parried two more blows before rolling out of the way of a downward strike. He rose to attack, but every swing clanged harmlessly off of Demise's metal-like skin. Demise took his time taking a new stance, for he knew Rusl couldn't win.

Rusl parried and ducked and dodged and rolled and struck, but Demise didn't waver. Now and then Demise would move with blinding speed, letting Rusl know that he was going easy on him.

Demise suddenly let out a chuckle, catching Rusl by surprise. It escalated into full laughter.

"Ha ha! You can't even TOUCH me! Ha, alright, I'll let you go. But only because Majora will rip you limb from limb without looking! Ah, ha ha!"

Once again, the color drained from Rusl's face. "Majora? I have to fight Majora?!"

_In time. _Hylia was back in his head. _You will be stronger._

"Still not comforting." He got no response. She had left.

Demise vanished in a blast of smoke that left Rusl choking and coughing. When it cleared, a treasure chest stood in the middle of the room. Rusl stepped up and opened it.

_You got the Fairy Ocarina!_

_**Sorry I took so long to post. To make up for it, I'll try to get two more chapters in today. **_


	9. Important Segue

Rusl turned the Ocarina over in his hands. It didn't look magical. Had the text been wrong?

He played a tune on it. It didn't sound very magical. It could only play five notes. He played a medium-high note, then a high note, then a medium note, then repeated the tune. He thought nothing had happened, but when he turned around a blue circle glowed on the ground. He glanced at the door, doubting he could make it open again, and stepped into the portal.

_You learned the Royal Lullaby!_

He floated into the air, and suddenly he was standing back outside, in front of the Great Deku Tree.

"Well done, Rusl!" the Tree said. Rusl didn't remember ever telling it his name.

"Um, thanks. I, er, found a sword."

"Ah, yes. The Kokiri Sword, returned to the surface world at last!"

"Sure. Can you explain why it was in there...um, in you in the first place?"

"The blade was forged long ago by the Kokiri people. They gave up their adulthood and became children to..."

"Wait, what? Gave up their adulthood?"

"Are you sure you're not an atheist?"

"Ugh, just forget it."

"They gave up their adulthood to forge the blade in years."

"Uh-huh."

"You do not wish to hear this, do you?"

"Er, no."

"Very well. The blade is enchanted. It will deal extra damage to monsters. Know that they are the true enemy, not the good people of Termina."

"Oh, uh, thanks. I should probably go now."

"Farewell, hero."

"Wait, could you tell me what's up with this ocarina?"

"You already know about that. You witnessed its power as you left my dungeon. Its songs can affect people and the environment."

"Thank you, wise tree. I'm...gonna leave now."

Rusl was greeted back at the village by a punch in the face from his commanding officer.

"Where have you been, soldier!"

"I did what you asked, examining the tree."

"How long does it take?!"

"Er, long, sir. I found a sword and ocarina."

"What? Let me see that." The commander grabbed the sword from Rusl. "This isn't normal metal. What is this?"

"Sir, it's..." Rusl faltered. Did he really want to describe what had happened? Would anyone believe him? "I don't know. We should ask the Kokiri children."

Before the commander could respond, one of the soldiers approached at a run. "Terminians in the forest! Terminians in the forest!"

The commander looked back at Rusl. "We'll discuss this later. All men regroup! Prepare for battle!"

**Next time: Escape through Lost Woods! Before the end of today, I should have the first episode of my first let's play up on YouTube. Look for "TriforceWisdom64 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" if you're interested!**


	10. Lost Woods

**Sorry guys. Two chapters ago I said "Two more chapters," when I meant "Two chapters." Sorry. I'll try to make up for it.**

The Hylians assembled at the barricade set up at the village entrance. The commander began calmly giving orders. "Spread out on the rooftops. We'll start out with arrows to keep them at a distance. Try not to get hit, and make sure your sword is out before they reach you. Any questions." Of course, he got no response. "Good. Move out!" Rusl grabbed a small wooden shield from the empty shop and took a position on top of Mido's house. He nocked an arrow and waited. And waited. And waited...

The Terminians burst through the barricade with ease. _They must have a canon,_ Rusl thought. Moments later, an iron ball went flying into a treehouse and caused it to collapse. The soldier on its roof fell among the wreckage and was buried. Rusl fired an arrow.

The Hylians let loose a volley, but quickly realized that there were simply too many Terminians to fight. The commander yelled a new set of orders. "Retreat! Get to the Lost Woods before they do!"

Rusl stood up and fired another arrow. He slid off the roof and hit the ground running. _Why are there so many of them?! he thought. _The Hylians sprinted toward the entrance to the Woods. One of them went down from an arrow to the knee. Rusl regretted never meeting the man. He and the remaining soldiers entered the Woods, Terminian shouts of rage echoing behind them.

As they emerged in a clearing, Rusl heard music. The other soldiers looked left and right, unsure of where to go. "Right!" Rusl ordered. They hesitated and looked at him. He didn't falter. "Follow the music." They took off down the right path and came to another crossroads. "Left!" As they came into the third clearing, a gruff voice called out.

"Who goes there?!"

None of the soldiers had ever seen a Goron, but it was obvious this man was one. Despite the neutral position between Hylians and Gorons, the men were rooted to their spaces in fear. Rusl didn't understand what they were afraid of. Sure, a half-ton rock man was blocking their path, but he probably wouldn't attack them with a Terminian army following behind them. Probably.

"We are Her Grace's soldiers, and we are attempting to escape capture by Her enemies. May I ask what business you have here?"

In spite of all he'd done, Rusl still amazed the others with his calm confidence and expert...well, everything. The Goron showed surprise for a moment, then turned stone-faced again (literally). "The Kokiri children passed through earlier, fleeing the same enemy. I take it you sent them?" Rusl nodded. The Goron continued. "My name is Darunia, Goron warrior. I have two goals in this forest: to protect the children, and to protect my own home." He gestured down a path behind him. "Now may I ask, how do you plan to escape your adversaries?"

The Hylians looked uneasily from one to the other. Rusl turned his gaze to the commander. "Er, what was the plan, sir?"

"Uhhhh, we were, um..."

"There was no plan, was there, sir?"

"No."

"Good. Great. Outstanding."

"Ahem, well," said Darunia, "You may travel through this tunnel to Goron City, but I fear for the children. I am, however, about to seal the path with boulders, so make your decision quickly." The soldiers edged toward the tunnel, but the commander didn't move. He stood completel still, debating in his head. Rusl turned in the direction of the music and started walking.

The commander saw him and yelled, "Where are you going, soldier?!"

Rusl didn't look back. "I'm going to protect those kids."

Without waiting for the others, he continued toward the center of the forest. He didn't hear anyone follow.

In the next clearing, there was another tunnel. This one was completely submerged. He started to walk away when he heard a bubble pop on the surface. He spun around and came face-to-face with a Zora. The fish-person loudly commanded, "State your name and business, Hylian."

"Er, Rusl of Ordon. My squadmates seem to have deserted, and I wish to protect the Kokiri children."

"Rather noble for a human."

"What?"

"Nothing. I was about to block off this passage to my home to defend it from the approaching army. Go that way if you seek the children. They made camp at the entrance to the Forest Temple."

"Thank you, Zora."

"Please, call me Jarutia. I am the Zora tribe's greatest warrior."

"Oo-kay then. I hope to meet again under better circumstances. Good luck."

"Same to you, Rusl."

Rusl walked into the final clearing, this one rather large. In front of him was a gate.

"Who goes there?" The source of the voice was Mido, leader of the Kokiri. Rusl didn't understand why this kid was the leader, but apparently he was.

"The only Hylian soldier willing to stay and protect you. Let me in."

Mido hesitated. "Protect us?"

"The Terminians are in the Lost Woods. They'll be here in a matter of minutes."

Mido looked to his side. "Open the gate!"

The gate opened, and Rusl stepped inside. He turned to Mido. "Have you prepared any defenses?"

"We have slingshots, and shields."

Rusl tried to keep his cool. "Right. Okay. We can do this. Ahem. Do you have a fallback point?"

Mido gestured behind him. "We have a hedge maze. While they try to navigate, we can slow them with Deku nuts. Behind that is the Forest Temple, which is an okay last resort."

Rusl nearly lost it. "They'll have fire, and lots of it. A maze won't even slow them."

"Oh."

Rusl smelled smoke. They were close. "Is there ANYTHING else you have?!"

Mido looked unsure. "Well, we have allies. Kind of."

"Allies?"

Demonic children's laughter cut the air suddenly, followed closely by men's screams.

**Next time: Battle for Lost Woods.**


	11. Skull Kids and Storm Songs

"That would be them," Mido said.

"Who?"

"You should hide. Now!"

Rusl was livid. "From what, Din dammit!"

"JUST HIDE!"

Hearing the urgency in Mido's voice, Rusl passed through the gate and ran to a small hole beneath a hedge. He crawled in and hid himself as best he could. The demonic laughter and screaming grew closer.

"Shut the gate!" Rusl heard Mido yell. "Ready your weapons! Prepare for battle! And do NOT shoot the Skull Kids!"

_Skull Kids? _Rusl thought. He heard the Kokiri children readying their weapons. The Terminians and Skull Kids were very close now. Rusl heard Mido's voice above the chaotic sounds.

"Steady. Steady. FIRE!"

A volley of stones was launched as the army burst into the clearing. Rusl could hear them smashing into Terminian armor, probably not wounding the soldiers. He prayed it would at least stun them.

"Ready Deku nuts!"

A voice called out, "What? Kids?!"

"THROW!"

A series of small explosions could be heard, and Rusl knew the soldiers were blinded for a few seconds. One of the terrifying child's voices stopped laughing and said, "What's the matter? The big scary men can't handle a few kids like us? HAHAHAHAHA!"

Rusl turned his body and peeked out of the hole. What he saw shocked him. The voices did not come from normal children, but impish creatures with Deku-like faces. They were freakishly agile, leaping from branch to branch with ease, and wielded blowguns. One looked at Rusl, and he quickly hid himself. He thought he would be fine, the Skull Kid would ignore him. Instead, it landed directly in front of him.

"Well well. What have we here? Heehee!"

"Please, I'm not your enemy!" Rusl said quickly. "I only want to protect the children!"

The thing laughed. "An adult wants to help children? Yeah right. You never want what children want!"

Rusl was almost as furious as he was scared. "What?! How can you even say that?! That is not true!"

"Oh really. Well, we'll never find out, since this here poisoned dart will kill you."

He attempted to stab Rusl with the dart, but even in his confined space, Rusl already had his sword and shield ready. He blocked it and stabbed the Skull Kid right between the eyes.

"WAAAAAAAH! HE KILLED ME!" The demon child exploded into twigs, and all the Skull Kids stopped and turned toward him. He crawled out of the hole and stood as they screamed in rage and leapt at him.

Rusl knocked one away with his shield and impaled another. There seemed to be about ten. Each one made a grab at him, and each one was either stabbed, beat down, or knocked back. Only three remained. They sneered, and one spoke up.

"So, you're keen to use the Kokiri Sword against Kokiri children?"

Rusl faltered. _Kokiri children?!_

"Well, we just won't help you then. Have fun with the Terminians! Oh, and say hello to the Giants for me!"

He and his comrades turned and ran into the bushes, disappearing in the forest.

Mido turned to Rusl. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Rusl face became devoid of color yet again. "I...I didn't...they..."

"WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE YOU FOOL!"

"Mido, shut up!" a female voice called. The green-haired girl turned to Rusl. "Do you have an Ocarina?"

"Uh, yeah. How did you..."

"Follow my lead!"

Saria whipped out her own instrument and played a tune. Rusl tried to keep up.

_Low mid-low high, low mid-low high._

As soon as the song ended, a storm brewed unnaturally quickly. Rusl knew it must be the song's power. Wind and rain picked up until the storm was a full-fledged hurricane. Mido yelled, "EVERYBODY DOWN!" The Kokiri children jumped from their perch point atop the gate hedge and crouched next to Rusl. Lighnting began to strike, but only at the Terminian soldiers. Using their armor as a conductor, it jumped from soldier to soldier and killed ten men per strike.

A Terminian screamed, "RETREAT!" The soldiers flooded back the way the came as the Kokiri cheered.

_You learned the Song of Storms!_


	12. Saria

Rusl looked in awe at his ocarina for a moment, then turned to Saria. "Where did you learn that song?"

Saria smiled. "It's called the Song of Storms. I learned it from...uh, I'll tell you later."

Mido was approaching, a look of pure hatred on his face. He did his best to intimidate Rusl, but it's not easy for a ten-year-old boy to scare a twenty-one-year-old man. "YOU!"

Rusl was scared, but not of Mido; he was scared of making an enemy of the entire Kokiri people. "Look, I'm sorry, I..."

"SORRY?! YOU'RE SORRY?!"

"Hey, please, just listen..."

"YOU KILLED MOST OF THE SKULL KIDS! THOSE GUYS WERE OUR ONLY DAMN ALLIES!"

Rusl's temper snapped. "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!"

Mido cowed away in an instant. Rusl didn't care all that much.

"Now then, can you just hear me out?"

"N-never!" Damn, Mido was adamant.

"Hear the guy out Mido!" Saria said. Rusl thanked Nayru that Saria was on his side. Mido groaned, but didn't talk.

"Okay, so, first off: I came here to help you. I'm a Hylian, and I don't want to hurt you or anything of that sort. Second, I hid during a battle I was going to help you in. I looked out to see how you were doing, and one of the Skull Kids saw me. I said I was on your side, and he tried to kill me. Lastly, I conquered the dungeon of the Great Deku Tree, earning his favor, a magical ocarina, and the Kokiri sword. Any questions?"

Mido looked unsure. Rusl kind of felt sorry for the boy. Whether or not he'd chosen it, he was leading a village at age ten.

After a few seconds, Mido spoke up. "Okay, so I believe you. Now, how exactly do you plan on keeping us safe with the Skull Kids gone? The Terminians will be back soon, and the paths to Goron City and Zoras' Domain are blocked off, with your pals on the other side."

Rusl was getting tired of faltering. "Um, that could be a problem." Mido gave him the evil eye. "Er, are there any magical protectors of yours besides the Deku Tree?"

Mido looked ready to explode. "No. No we don't." He suddenly calmed down and looked thoughtful. "Unless..."

Rusl didn't think he liked where this was going. "Yes?"

"Unless you were willing to do a bit of dungeon crawling."

"For the love of...alright, what do you have in mind?"

Saria spoke up. "The Forest Temple behind us has magical power that usually protects the village from outsiders. Lately, though, it's been kinda dark and gloomy around there, as if something evil had taken over."

_I just need to get to Termina, _Rusl thought. "Alright, I will take on the darkness within the Forest Temple!"

Saria smiled. "Great! I'll come with you. You'll need the help."

Rus's mood noticeably fell. _Why can I never catch a break?_

Rusl eyed the crumbling stairs to the Temple suspiciously. "Are you sure that's going to hold?"

Saria laughed. "Of course!"

It collapsed as soon as they reached the entrance. Rusl was through faltering. He and Saria proceeded into the dungeon without looking back.

**Uh, you guys (with the exception of two of you) seem to have forgotten that I appreciate reviews and feedback. I can see if people are reading, but not if you're actually enjoying what you read, so please review! K bai.**


	13. Forest Temple

**Hey guys! Just wanna say I'm sorry for not posting often, but between LP-ing, forgetfulness, and not feeling like writing, you'll be lucky if you get weekly updates from here on out. If you like the story, follow it to see when I update. I'm not giving up or anything, so don't worry.**

It didn't take long for trouble to find our hero and the ten-year-old. As soon as they entered the Forest Temple, they were attacked by a pair of were-wolfos. Saria proved her usefulness by hiding behind Rusl as he blocked, rolled, and slashed at the monsters. They fell easily. He sheathed his sword and turned skeptically to Saria.

"Um, are you sure you can handle this?"

She looked strangely offended. "Of course I can! Are you saying that 'cause I'm a kid, or a girl?!"

Rusl held up his hands apologetically. "No, it's not like that. Besides, you probably know this place better than I do."

She looked around as they stepped through a door into a large central chamber, with a hole in the ceiling and three doors at the far side. "The layout has changed."

"Fantastic."

He surveyed the room, then suggested, "Let's try the middle door over there."

They walked over and discovered that the other two doors were locked. "Huh, not much choice."

One of the locks hit the ground. Saria looked up proudly. "I can pick the locks."

Rusl smiled. Finally, something had sort of gone his way. "Okay, we'll take that door."

On the other side, a bizzare creature, like some sort of sea filter-feeder, was jiggling around. Rusl nearly gagged on the smell it emitted. "What in the f..."

"Like-Like!" Saria yelled.

"What?"

The thing ate Rusl.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" he screamed from the inside.

"Hold on! I'll save you!" Saria drew a dagger and tried to get in close, but the abomination took a snap at her. She jumped back and thought.

"Um, Saria, what are you doing out there? I'm kinda in trouble."

She ripped a piece of bark off a nearby tree and held it in front of the Like-Like. "You want it? You want the shield?"

"What are you..."

The creature opened its mouth - or, you know, its whole body - and came at her. She rolled to the side. "Attack it now!"

Rusl crawled to the opening and stabbed his sword through the outside of his disgusting foe. The blade went straight through to the other side, and the Like-Like slumped and died. Rusl got to his feet. "What was that?"

Saria held up her piece of bark. "Like-Like. Those things love shields!"

He picked his shield up off the ground. "Don't you mean they 'like' them?"

They both chuckled, then turned around. The room was full of Like-Likes. Rusl shot each one with arrows until it went down. He checked his quiver. "Almost out."

"Don't worry!" chuckled Saria, handing him a bundle. "Monsters tend to drop useful stuff like arrows when they're killed."

"Well, that's weird, but useful. Let's keep moving."

There were two exits in the room: a hole descending into blackness, and a ladder through the ceiling. They looked into the hole, but could only see darkness.

"Let's take the ladder," Rusl said.

They climbed up into the next room to find a treasure chest - at the other side of a fifteen-foot-wide chasm. They peered over the edge, but could once again see only inky blackness. Wordlessly, they turned around and descended back into the other room. They walked back to the hole and stared down into it.

"Things aren't always as they appear," Saria said.

"I'll call you if I live."

Rusl shut his eyes and jumped into the hole. Unlike in the Deku Tree, it was a hard landing, but he only really fell about fifteen feet. He stood up and called, "Saria!" No answer. He could see nothing but darkness above him. There was magic at work here.

He heard a sound behind him and turned to see an enemy he had actually been trained against, as they lived mostly in Termina: a Wizrobe.

It shot a ball of fire at him, which he deflected with a wooden, acid-burned shield. It exploded on impact. "Oh for the love of..." It shot a ball of ice, which he quickly knocked away with his sword. He swung quickly, but the monster had already teleported behind him. It launched a ball of swirling wind that knocked Rusl of his feet. He got back up quickly and blocked another fireball, then swung over a random pedestal. Sure enough, the Wizrobe teleported there and was met by a slash from the Kokiri Sword. It teleported away, but after that there was no contest between it and Rusl's expert reflexes. He caught his enemy with his blade every time it moved until it went down.

Right on cue, a treasure chest appeared. Rusl opened it and removed a strange, spring-loaded device with a claw hand at the end.

_You got the Hookshot!_


	14. Clawshot Dungeon

**Yeah, I'm probably going to stop doing these author's messages. You already know** **that my updates are rare. Just wanted to say, Rusl has the Goddess' Clawshot from Skyward Sword, not the Hookshot from Ocarina of Time. Anyway, chapter 14.**

Rusl turned the bizzare spring-loaded claw-tipped glove over in his hands. It was probably the weirdest piece of equipment he'd ever seen. He slipped it on - because, ya know, what would you do? - and pulled a trigger on the inside. The claw shot out and clanged off the wall opposite Rusl. The chain yanked it back in without ever loosing tension. Rusl observed that the claw had opened when he pulled the trigger, then closed as it retracted. He was worried about the purpose of the device.

The darkness above him lessened as light strained to get through. Rusl heard Saria calling his name in a worried tone. A patch of vines came into view twelve feet above him. He looked at his Clawshot.

_Oh no, _he thought.

He slowly aimed the claw at the vines and hesitantly pulled the trigger. He braced himself just in time as it connected with the vines and yanked him toward the wall. He slowed just as he hit, and he barely had time to grab the vines before he plummeted. He climbed out of the pit and back onto his quaking knees, much to Saria's relief.

"Thank goodness you're okay! Hey, what's that?"

"A spring-loaded claw glove."

"Well then."

Rusl once again observed their surroundings. He suddenly noticed vines on every wall that seemed insignificant until now. He turned toward the ladder to the upper room. When they reached the room, he fired the Clawshot at the chest across the fifteen-foot gap. The chain yanked him along, and he reached the other side in under a second. Saria gasped in awe. Rusl opened the chest and retrieved the big key inside. He used some vines next to Saria to zip back. He smiled at her.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

They descended the ladder and walked back to the main room. A black obelisk was raised in the center, radiating darkness. A keyhole was carved into the side.

"Was that there before?" Saria inquired.

"No."

Rusl motioned for her to stay back as he cautiously approached and slid the key in. It was a perfect fit. The obelisk shook, then crumbled.

Nothing else happened.

Rusl shrugged. "I guess it didn't...wah!" The floor caved in beneath his feet and he fell.


	15. Phantom of the Future

Rusl stood quickly, then took in his surroundings. The square room had no exit. On each wall was a framed, blank canvas. He reached out slowly to touch one.

All of a sudden, he heard the neighing of a horse, and one burst out of the canvas. Rusl fell backwards, rolled, and came to his feet facing the beast. You'll never guess what happened next: the color drained from Rusl's face. The horse seemed to be made of pure shadow, and atop it was a man who had the same look. The man looked Rusl up and down. Then he let out a laugh, the kind of confident evil laugh that makes you feel hopeless. Rusl didn't feel hopeless, but he was scared. The man radiated power.

"Well, what have we here?" the man asked. "A hero? Or a coward? Either way, you shall not live to witness my takeover of the land of Hyrule."

Rusl took a moment to process that. Did the man mean that _he _would take over Hyrule, or that he was a shadow of someone who would? Either way, it couldn't be good news.

"Who are you? What makes you think you'll take over Hyrule?"

"Because," the man answered with an evil smile, "I am Ganondorf, reincarnation of Demise!"

_Demise?! _Rusl thought. Demise had let him go in the Great Deku Tree. Had it been for this? So a mere reincarnation could kill him? Had that even _been _Demise the first time?

"Wh-what can you do? You're just a shadow!"

Ganondorf did not falter. "I am a mere shadow of what is to come, but you shall never see my true form!"

"You won't kill me!"

"I don't expect to. Whether or not I do, you will perish. You and your beloved Ashei!"

Rusl forgot his fear and drew his sword. "She will live!"

Ganon nearly lost himself laughing, then quickly regained his composure. "This Battle of Deities will take her, and you can do nothing about it!"

Rusl leapt forward, bringing his sword across in a wide arc. Ganon's horse whipped around and dashed into a canvas with blinding speed. The Kokiri Sword cut only air, followed closely by Ganon's laughter. Rusl turned frantically, searching for the shadow man. His eyes widened as he spun to see hooves, not a split-second before they slammed into his face and knocked him to the ground. By the time Rusl was on his feet, his enemy was in another canvas, shrinking away. Rusl didn't bother to think about logic, or if the painting-dive was "possible." He stepped back to the center of the room and listened. He heard the sound of galloping hooves, and turned to see the monster still in one of the canvases. He crouched down, then stuck his sword into the beast as it leapt overhead. The blade pierced what appeared to be smoke, then was filled with electricity. Rusl cried out in pain and dropped his sword. His hand was burned. Rusl thought for a moment, then drew the Clawshot. He waited for Ganondorf to come around again, then fired at the shadow's head. Unlike the horse, he was tangible, and the Clawshot brought him to the ground. The horse entered a canvas and dissipated into nonexistence.

Rusl smiled confidently, but it faded quickly when Ganondorf's body started to twist and contort. Then it started to grow. Rusl backed against a wall and looked on in horror as his enemy, a mere shadow, turned into a beast the size of five men. It was facing away from him for the moment, and Rusl used the opportunity to look for somewhere to hide. Of course, the room was flat and empty. Ganon turned slowly, brandishing a massive sword. Rusl panicked and ran, jumping into one of the canvasses. To his shock, he went straight through. It was an indescribable sensation, feeling as though he as standing still, shrinking or growing as he went closer and further from the real world. As Ganon looked straight at him, he realized that he didn't have any more protection than he had before. He was done for. Ganon raised his blade.

Just then, Saria fell from above and landed on Ganon's head. She fell to his shoulder and slumped against him, then pulled out her ocarina. "Rusl! Follow me!" Rusl drew his own ocarina.

_Mid-high, mid, mid low. Mid-high, mid, mid-low._

As the Song of Healing played, the beast shrank back into Ganondorf, who fell to his knees. "No. That...that song...you've met the...Salesman..." Saria and Rusl instinctively played the Song of Storms, and the phantom screamed and broke apart.

Rusl looked suspiciously at Saria. "Salesman?"

Saria got defensive all of a sudden. "Look, I know you want answers, I know you deserve answers, but that has to wait. You'll meet him in your own time."

_So the Salesman, whoever that is, knows magical songs. Goddesses help me,_ Rusl thought as he and Saria stepped into the portal that had appeared in the floor. He had no idea how that happened.


	16. Deserters

Mido met them outside the Forest Temple. Rusl could already sense a calmer atmosphere in the forest, and the sun shone brighter than it had before.

"Well then," Mido said, "I guess you're not such a bad guy after all."

Saria spoke for Rusl. "See Mido! I told you we could trust him!"

"That being said," Rusl said impatiently, "I need to get into Termina as soon as possible."

They looked at him in surprise. "Why would you want to go to Termina?!" Mido blurted out.

"This is going to sound crazy, but I think I have to kill the gods of Termina."

"Yeah. You're crazy." And with that, the ever-superior Mido marched off, probably to tell the others he had saved the day.

Saria looked at Rusl with concern in her eyes. "You can find the Salesman either in Castle Town here, or in Clock Town there. He can give you answers, but be careful. He's a very dangerous person." Without further explanation, she ran back to Kokiri Village.

Rusl walked off in that direction, but he wasn't going back to the village. Not all the way.

He met with Jarutia the Zora as he made his way back through the Lost Woods. "Hail, Hylian," the fish-person said. "I am glad to see that you've survived. And of the Kokiri children?"

"I think they'll be safe now," Rusl responded, confident his answer was correct. "I eliminated an evil spirit from the Forest Temple, so hopefully the whole forest will be safe now."

"I am glad to hear it, but I fear your commander might not be."

Rusl was somewhat afraid he would be tried for deserting, but as it was wartime, he probably would just find himself back on the front lines. "Don't worry about it."

He continued to the next clearing and saw Darunia the Goron standing with his entire squadron. He hadn't planned to meet them so soon, but he maintained his composure even as he was punched hard in the nose.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, SOLDIER?!" the commander yelled loudly. "The Terminians left these woods hours ago!"

Rusl stared directly at his commanding officer. "Do you not notice the sun now enters between the leaves? My doing. Do you not notice a pleasent scent in the air? My doing. I vanquished an evil spirit in the Kokiri Forest Temple and brought light to the land."

"You could be tried for deserting."

"I stayed and protected this land while you ran. You're the deserters." Rusl shocked everyone, including himself, with that accusation. And it was true, to some extent.

The commander thought for a long while. Then Darunia spoke. "This boy has done a noble deed, and to punish him would be to go against the will of the golden goddesses and Hylia herself."

The commander went pale. To Rusl, he said, "Okay, hero, what'll it take to get you to keep this on the down-low?"

With strange confidence, Rusl said, "I want to see my family."


	17. Rest, Relaxation, and Romance

**() indicates that time has passed. Bit of a lovey-dovey chapter. No action, and don't worry, no lemons. Enjoy.**

Rusl took a deep breath as he stared at the house that had been his home. It had only been three months, but it felt like so much longer. He was a changed man..._ No, _he told himself. He was still the same Rusl. And he was going to see his family (and Ashei) one more time before embarking on the quest his goddesses chose him for.

He approached the door to his house slowly and knocked lightly against the wood. Less than a second later, his brother opened the door with a wide smile. "FATHER!" he yelled ecstatically. "Rusl is home!"

()

Shortly after, Rusl was merrily dining with his family and friends for the first time in months. It felt incredibly relieving to just have a normal dinner with normal people. He knew it wouldn't last, but he wanted to enjoy it while it did. Even the Kakariko family had come to celebrate Rusl's return. Not once did anyone mention the war until dinner was over. Once it was, however...

"So, Rusl," Mr. Kakariko started, "why'd they give you leave, again? You were in combat for a week at most."

Rusl knew this was coming. "I, er, that is, um..."

"Well come on! Out with it!"

"I'm going to Termina," Rusl blurted out. It was only part of the dangerous truth, but he knew it would be enough to alarm the people around him. Sure enough, they all stopped eating and stared wide-eyed at him.

"Termina?!" Rusl's father said in a panic. "Three months in the army, and you're moving to Termina?! There's still fighting going on in Hyrule!"

"Well, you see..." Rusl started.

"That's ridiculous!" Mr. Cremin exclaimed. "Surely they have more skilled soldiers available!"

Rusl didn't know what to say. He settled on the truth. "I was at a battle at Transit Grounds. I fought one-on-one with a beast of a man and killed him. The Terminians retreated because he'd been their best warrior."

Nobody said a word. Every single person tried, but they could never form the words.

()

"Hey, are you feeling okay?"

Rusl sat up on th roof and looked behind him. Ashei had followed him up to comfort him. He had always thought she was the sweetest thing in the world. Her flowing hair was brushed over one shoulder, and her deep blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She sat down beside him. "I said, are you feeling okay?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess. It all happened so fast. It seems like yesterday I was just a normal ranch kid. Wrestling goats, tending crops, slacking off and swimming in the river."

Ashei tried to comfort him. "Hey, the war can't go on forever. You'll be able to come back and do whatever you want sooner than you think."

Rusl didn't think she was naïve enough to believe her own words. "Ashei, there's something I need to tell you." He honestly thought he would tell her about his true mission. Then he looked into her beautiful, sad eyes.

"Yes?" she pressed.

"I...I..." he stammered. She just looked so perfect. If he told her the truth, it would ruin perfection. He just couldn't do that.

"I love you."

He felt guilty for half a second, then Ashei pressed her lips against his and Rusl returned the motion. It was a perfect moment with a perfect girl. Why ruin it thinking of the future?

()

The two snuck away to the river, where they skipped stones and swam and laughed and hugged. They laid together in the grass and gazed at the stars. Ashei dared Rusl to high-dive off a tall rock, and he agreed. When he didn't surface after hitting the water, Ashei rushed in to find him, only to be playfully pulled underwater by the big fibber. They returned to the ranch cold and laughing quietly, sat down on the roof of the goat barn, and fell asleep in each other's arms. The future seemed to have left Rusl...at least until morning. For now, he could just _be_ with the woman he loved.


	18. The Salesman of Secrets

Rusl moved the sleeping Ashei to her bedroom and slipped away at dawn.

He felt horrible leaving Ashei sleeping, completely unaware of his leaving, but he knew that if he saw her cry for him, he wouldn't be able to make himself leave. He put those exact words in a note by the bedside. A note. He didn't think anyone could ever feel more guilty than he did. But he had a job, and he was going to do it. He promised himself he'd return.

His squad met him in Hyrule Field, near Transit Grounds. They were going to ride to Termina on horseback and then...something. Talorn would be joining the group because he was Rusl's only real friend in the army and didn't want to send him on a suicide mission alone.

Of course, none of them were authorized to be at Transit Grounds, and nobody was allowed to enter Termina. There was a full-scale battle going on in the tunnel anyway. It seemed impossible that they would get through. While Rusl's squad waited at the camp outside the tunnel, Rusl rode to Castle Town.

Once within the walls, he walked to the site of a building under construction in the market plaza. Little was known about the man who had bought the land. He stood on the site, back hunched under the weight of his backpack. A backpack covered in masks.

"Excuse me, sir?" Rusl said as he approached. The man seemed to not hear him. "Sir?"

The man turned, surprised. "Oh, greetings. I was absorbed in my own thoughts. May I ask who you are?"

Something about him made Rusl uncomfortable. "Rusl Ordon, of the ranch in Hyrule Field. Soldier of Her Grace's army. May I return the question? I think you may be someone I was looking for."

The man smiled. It was rather unsettling. "Ah yes! Are you a customer? Of course, my shop isn't open yet, but the Happy Mask Salesman is always willing to make a deal!"

"Actually," Rusl said, dropping his voice to a whisper, "I need information."

"So much more interesting than business! What do you need?"

"Did you teach Saria those songs?"

"Why yes! Aren't they beautiful? Of course, Saria's song, she wrote herself, but the rest are mine."

"Really?" Rusl now knew that he was talking to a very powerful man.

"Oh, and don't let the Composer Brothers fool you, their work was already figured out by me. Controlling the sun is really much simpler than they make it out to be."

"I, er, that's...nice?"

"Oh, but I take it you want more. A mask, or a way into Termina, because I have both."

Rusl didn't know what to say to that. "I...you...how...what...but...how..."

"You already said 'how'," HMS said cheerfully.

Though he wanted to ask more questions, Rusl realized he was wasting time. "I need a way into Termina for now."

"There's another tunnel, right next to the first one. I use it for personal reasons. It ends up at the same place after going some distance underground. It's hidden in the roots of a tree. Try not to appear to suspicious when you look for it. Now, are you sure you don't want to buy a mask?"

()

Rusl met back up with his squad just outside the Transit Grounds camp. He told them about the secret tunnel and asked one final time if everyone was willing to come. The commander approached him. "Rusl, we've left you alone for long enough. It's time you had some company on your crazy adventures."

Rusl smiled. "Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me Gregor."

They found the tunnel within a few minutes. After exchanging some glances, they leapt into the unknown.


	19. Infiltration

Rusl figured he'd hit the ground as softly as if he'd never jumped, but he could tell by the fearful screams of the other Hylians that they were not as sure. Of course, they were all unhurt upon landing in the dark, mossy cave they ended up in. There was only one exit down a tunnel, so Rusl started walking with no hesitation. After a moment, the others followed.

Gregor caught up to Rusl and asked a stupid question. "Do you have any idea what you're doing, kid?"

Rusl bitterly responded, "Of course not."

They walked in silence through a large underground chamber. The floor felt unstable, like it might fall away at any moment. A few massive flowers grew out of the ground in more solid patches. At the other side of the room, the cave turned to tunnels filled with water.

"A sewage system?" Talorn asked.

"How should I know?" Rusl snapped. He was angry, though he wasn't sure who the anger was directed at. Probably himself.

The group swam through the tunnels until they reached a landing. A stone staircase led upwards. Upon climbing the stairs, they found a set of massive gears, an organ, and large double-doors leading outside. Rusl edged over to the door, opened it a crack, and peeked out into the Terminian capitol of Clock Town.

"Damn it all! The Salesman gave us a path to the middle of town!"

He closed the door quietly and turned to face his comrades. Gregor was steaming mad.

"Boy, you've led us to the belly of the beast! How can we go out there in Hylian colors?!"

"How can we go out there at all?" a soldier piped up. "Nobody will recognize us. It'll be suspicious."

Rusl's mind was racing with possible answers until Talorn said, "Well, there's a wooden staircase going up." Rusl turned around and saw that his friend was right. Wordlessly, he began making his way up.

The group surfaced on the roof of the clock tower. Rusl looked over the edges without leaning out. All he could see was a futuristic (for Hylians) looking observatory. Suddenly, he got an idea.

"Guys, I know! If we can get a rope arrow into that building, we can zipline over there at night under cover of darkness."

The group exchanged words and glances, and decided that the zipline was their best bet.

()

The arrow lodged securely into the side of the observatory. Rusl grabbed the rope with gloved hands and slid off into the night. The other Hylians followed until they had all reached the observatory. Terminian patrols covered every inch of Hyrule Field in torchlight.

"Brilliant plan, Rusl!" Talorn whispered. Rusl didn't answer because he knew they had gotten lucky.

"Yes, this is all well and good," Gregor said. "Now what?"

Rusl didn't respond for a few moments, then said, "Follow me. And be silent."

He opened a trapdoor and descended a ladder into the observatory. The rest followed, the sounds of clanking armor amplified in the silence. Rusl looked around the room and saw a bed with the sleeping form of a man on it. Next to the bed was a wardrobe full of clothes.

"Jackpot!"

Each man took one set of Terminian clothes and returned to the roof. The sleeping man did not wake. Once outside, the Hylians took off their armor and donned the foreign garb.

Yet again, Gregor approached Rusl with a stupid question. "How're we gonna conceal our weapons?"

"We're not," Rusl after a deep breath. "It's a wartime. The shields won't do, but who wouldn't carry a sword?"

"I think you might be right, lad. But what to do with the shields if we're not taking them?"

"Hmm...I've got it! We'll say that we come from a poor land across the sea and are simply searching for a better life. If anyone tries to pry, we can follow up by saying that we're not sure we want to settle because of the war."

"Okay, but where do we put the shields?"

"I'm...getting to that." _Damn, wish we'd left them in the tunnels. And we still have our armor, too._

"We could bury them," Talorn suggested.

"When and where?" Gregor retorted.

After thinking for a few minutes, Rusl said, "I guess we'll just leave them here and hope that scientist downstairs doesn't come up here often."

A quick discussion later, the group decided it was their only optin. They laid down their shields and armor, shouldered their weapons, slipped off the roof, and quickly and quietly made their way to town.


End file.
